MONTGOMERY, Ala.  – The Alabama State Lady Hornets soccer team returns home for a nonconference match up with Georgia Southern of the Sun Belt Conference for a Friday match beginning at 5 p.m. at the ASU Soccer Complex.

Alabama State (0-4-1) will be seeking its first victory since last winning in a 3-1 exhibition match against AUM on Aug. 15. 

The Lady Hornets are coming off a 4-0 defeat at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, AZ this past Sunday.

Georgia Southern (2-3-1) has been playing better of late, having defeated Winthrop 2-0 at home on Wednesday night and Francis Marion 5-1 last Friday. 

The teams have met on only one other occasion, with the Eagles topping the Lady Hornets 3-0 in 2014 in Statesboro, Ga. 

Melinda Lukas, Stephanie Gratto and Jennifer Wittick each scored for Georgia Southern in that match. 

Lukas and Wittick are returners to this year's team for the Eagles.

"It will be another good challenge for us—a good Sun Belt team," said Alabama State head women's soccer coach Jodie Smith.

"They're going to be fast and are going to attack out of the back with a lot of speed.  We will have to be disciplined.  We did not play our best last year on the road against them.  I think we prepared well after this past weekend.  We've have a lot of good energy and focus and training."  

Junior forward Ariela Lewis still leads the Lady Hornets' attack with three goals and an assist through the team's first five matches.  

That gives Ar. Lewis 18 goals and 10 assists in 27 career matches with Alabama State. 

The second half is something that ASU will look to improve upon as it has been outscored 11-1 after halftime. 

"It may be due to fitness or it may be due to a lack of focus," Smith said. "That's something, as coaches, that we are trying to figure out." 

Leaders

Georgia Southern:  Nora El-Shami (11 points), Jennifer Wittick (four goals), El-Shami (seven assists), Emily Flinn (12 saves)

Alabama State: Ariela Lewis (seven points), Ar. Lewis (three goals), Four tied (one assist), Gianna Guyot (41 saves)

Live stats

http://www.sidearmstats.com/alasu/wsoc/
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